FEINBERG/WHITMAN     NOTES and NOTEBOOKS     NOTES -- Personal
1870     Biographical Data for John Swinton 
(DCN35)
Box  41  Folder  58 
1870  WHITMAN SUGGESTS BIOGRAPHICAL DATA TO JOHN SWINTON
FOR PUBLICATION;  notes. A.MS.  (1P. 23 1/2  X  26 cm.) 

Suggestions to John Swinton:  "To make a personal item or paragraph for
"Minor Topics."  Walt Whitman writes "qu?  To commence for instance: 
With the bright crispy autumn weather, Walt Whitman again makes his
appearance on the sidewalks of Broadway" etc., etc. . . .  "The poems have
been republished in England & are being translated by Freiligrath for
publication in Germany."  Facsimile of this MS reproduced in G. M. 
Williamson.  Catalogue of a Collection of Books, Letters and Manuscripts by
Walt Whitman. N. Y., Dodd, Mead, 1903.                                     {35}that Taine's was the first history comprehending many centuries of a
concrete and consecutive national literature, written according to the school
of modern criticism."  Biographical notes on Taine, comments on his thought
and writings are interspersed with abstracts of chapters from Taine's work,
e.g.  "At last (Chapter IV) we arrive in the presence of . . .  Shakespeare. 
We will not attempt even a brief of Taine's page here.  It has been said that
nothing new can be written about Shakespeare.  This Frenchman proves that
at least the picture of the mighty poet, though still the same is ever eligible
to be portrayed with new coloring & new light and shade.  Heralding the
nineteenth (century) comes forward definitely the modern man impelled
by two sentiments, one democratic the other philosophic.  The review of
Tennyson offset with a comparison between him and the French poet Alfred      "I CELEBRATE MYSELF" 

WHITMAN (WALT).  Autograph Manuscript in pencil. 
1 page, 4to. N.p., n.d.  [c.  1870]. 

   A most interesting outline of a suggested
article about himself which Whitman sent to his
friend John Swinton, evidently for the purpose of
bringing the name of Whitman and his work to the
attention of the public through the columns of the
newspapers.  This is an unusually fine example of
Whitman's methods of self advertisement which he
pursued throughout his active career in the sublime
confidence that no means was too undignified by
which he might be able to make his writing known 
to the world.  He mentions "Leaves of Grass" and
the forthcoming "Democratic Vistas" and gives
Swinton for an idea on which to base the article,
the suggestion that he emphasize, "the obstinacy,
pertinacity or continuity of Leaves of Grass and of
the personality of W.W. in current literature notwithstanding
all attacks & objections."

   The manuscript reads as follows.  --  "(Qu?) 
To make a Personal item or [paragraph] for 'Minor 
Topics'.  qu?  To commence for instance, 'With the 
bright crispy Autumn weather, Walt Whitman again
makes his appearance on the sidewalks of Broadway', 
etc etc (three or four lines on personnel as lounging
along).  item, the obstinacy pertinacity or
continuity of Leaves of Grass & of the personality
of W.W. in current literature notwithstanding all 
attacks & objections.  The poems have been republished
in England & are being translated by
Freiligrath for publication in Germany.  allude to
the proposed prose work - 'Democratic Vistas'. 
Can't you put in the idea of an obstinate, tenacious,
determined living man, appearing with a will in our
easy-going imitative literature." 
 
[*Swinton collection
Williamson collection
Ca[r?] page
reproduced 
1905*]

James F. Drake, Inc.  New York(qu?) To make a Personal item
" or ¶ for "Minor Topics".
qu?  To commence for instance
"With the bright, crisp, autumn
weather, Walt Whitman again makes
his [annual] appearance on the sidewalks
of Broadway," &c &c
(three or four lines on personnel
as [coming?] along)
item [in] the obstinacy? pertinacity or continuity of [the]
Leaves of Grass [in our] & of the personality
of [W W] W.W. in current Literature
notwithstanding all attacks & objections
The poems have been republished in England, 
[are] & are being translated by Freiligrath 
for publication in Germany. 
allude to the proposed prose work-
"Democratic Vistas."
Cant you put 
in the idea of an 
[strong] obstinate 
tenacious determined 
living man, appearing 
with a will in 
our easy=going 
imitative literature
Man sent to John Swinton 
for publication by WW(Walt Whitman)